Chicago Blackhawks legend Stan Mikita has passed at age 78. Take a look back at one of the NHL's most memorable careers.
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When they unveiled the statues of Mikita and Hull in front of the United Center in 2011, Stan emotionally said, "I thought for sure I would be forgotten, instead I'm still being remembered. How lucky can a guy be?" Mikita won Ross, Hart, and Byng trophies in 67 and 68, the only play to do so consecutively. 541 career goals and 926 assists.
Had he not changed the way he played there's no way he could have kept up his amazing career. He definitely helped shape the future of hockey. R.I.P. Mikita
eilliw nodrod Who's bashing him for being tough?
eilliw nodrod I'll make this simple. His aggressive style would have worn down his body...
eilliw nodrod Because he was one dirty hockey player when he first came to the league. He changed overnight, Clarke never did.
eilliw nodrod You're right about those Flyers. They were one dirty team but they could play, too. The Chicago Black Hawks of 61 were a tough bunch. Nesterenko, Moose Vasko, Reggie Fleming and even Pierre Pilote were tough guys. I remember a headline with an editorial cartoon with it of a bench clearing brawl. The headline read "Chicago Black Hawk hockey". They were tough as nails and very talented as well. They weren't the Flyers, of course, no one is, but they were one of the dirtier teams that I could remember. Mikita was one of the tough guys that year. He may have led the team in penalty minutes.
I see all you guys using dirty to describe tough. Tough and dirty are 2 different things. Example Bob Probert = tough Alex Burrows =dirty, see the difference?
He was great man
Deep sympathy from Czechia! R.I.P Stan from brotherly Slovakia
The Black Hawk win in 61 was the first Stanley Cup final that I remember clearly. He was one of the best. Even though I was a Leaf fan, Mikita was one of my favourite players of all time.
One of my all time favorites. A legend!!
R.I.P. Stan Thanks for the memories!
I'll never forget as a kid back in the late 70's the Blackhawks were in town so we wiggled our way to their locker room door after the game to see some of their players.. Makita came out with a lit cigarette in his mouth... gave us a smile and a nod as he passed by.. it was awesome!
rip i am a hawks fan and u were amazing!!
Had the pleasure of watching him score a hat-trick at the Old Timers Hockey Challenge in Victoria many years ago someone threw a hat and it landed right on his helmet and he handed it right to me after he signed it said There You Go kid . totally made my day. Rest in peace Legend
Sad day for hockey, great day for heaven. Rip Stan Mikita!
Rip old sport. Much Love from us all! You are missed!
Im proud that he is from the same country as I am. He is proud slovak.
We were blessed to have him in Chicago, he was a great asset to the city on so many levels. Rest in Peace Stan....
What idiot could click a thumbs down on this. One of the classiest guy’s to play the game!
Listened many nights to the Chicago Blackhawks radio stations through the years (WGN, WCFL, WMAQ, WJJD, WBBM) and heard Stan's great plays. Rest in peace, Mr. Mikita...
It's very sad to see the greatest Blackhawk to pass on I may have never seen Stan Mikita play but I know how much he ment to the team I enjoy to watch I heard story of Stan Mikita and he has a his number retired and he has a his statue up front of the United Center. Mikita is and always will be remembered as Mr. Blackhawk. He'll never be forgotten.
RIP to an absolute Blackhawk. Never to be forgotten.
Stan Mikita was a true superstar of hockey. Great skater, passer and shooter. Multiple trophy winner too! Hart, Ross and Lady Byng. No one else won those trophies in the same year. He won them, two years in a row, I believe.
A sad day, I met him some years back at the stadium and he was a great guy. RIP Stan you will be missed...
One of the greats from when I was a kid. Hull Howe Mikita Gilbert Horton Keon Beliveau Esposito. Thanks to LeafsTV a few years ago I was able to see many games again from my childhood. A beautiful game back then. Speed and flow. Marvelous to watch. Never topped.
One of the greats and a classy dude to boot.
What a guy. Goes from being the nastiest in the league to winning the Byng the next, cant beat that kind of heart.
eilliw nodrod back then it was
vždy budeš v našich srdciach ❤️❤️
A credit to the game and one of the greatest to play it. Rest In Peace....
Godspeed, Mr. Blackhawk!
When you see players who were larger than life when we were growing up starting to leave the stage ... Beliveau, Howe, Mikita ... you can't help but begin to reflect on how short life is. Appreciate the memorial and accolades he earned. The Hawks lost a legend. RIP Stan Mikita.
RIP Stan Makita. Your Playing Hockey,With the Rest of the Legends in Heaven now. 🙇
Rest in peace Stan Mikita 1940-2018
Rest in peace Stan Mikita
RIP Mr. Mikita Heavens All Stars have gained another great team player.Hope the Blackhawks will wear number 21 on their sleeves this season
Congratulations To Stan Mikita to be put in the Hall of Fame and being put in the Chicago Blackhawks Roster on NHL 2K18 SUPERCARD Roster we will always remember you😔
Rešpekt, úcta, pokora. Slovakia smúti R.I.P
RIP Stan Mikita. A true legend and pioneer.
No words to describe how i feel
He was from SLOVAKIA, as Peter Stastny, Peter Bondra, Zigmund Palffy, Miroslav Satan, Zdeno Chara, Marian Gaborik, late Pavol Demitra, Michal Handzus, Bartecko, Richard Zednik and many many excellent players
What a legend... RIP mister..Slovakia is really proud
One of my favorite hockey stories was recounted in Gordie Howe's autobiography and it concerned Stan Mikita, when he first came up to the NHL before his Lady Byng days. Like most gifted smaller players of the 50s and 60s era, Stan was a hatchet man with his stick for self-preservation purposes and his reputation preceded him on the ice. Gordie recalled going into a corner with Stan and when the ref wasn't looking Stan gave Gordie a brutal hack which Gordie, as was his norm, never forgot. But he didn't want to hurt the Red Wings by taking a bad penalty. So he bided his time and waited and finally in another game much later a puck was dumped deep and Stan went back to retrieve it and had passed it back up the ice when Gordie moved in while the ref was following the puck. Stan went down in a heap and had to be carried off the ice. After the smelling salts Stan regained his consciousness and asked the player next to him on the end of the bench, the spare goalie whose name I can't recall at the moment., "What happened?" "Number 9," said the goalie. I loathe Rogers and do not normally visit anything they post on You Tube but in the case of Stan Mikita an exception is made.
One of the greatest NHL player . Un des meilleurs joueurs de la NHL. RIP Stan. Forever.
Stan Mikita IS Chicago
Here is a story that I can personally tell you about the kind of guy Stan was. A friend of mine worked for Kemper. So my friend got us a couple of greens fees to play at Kemper Lakes golf course, when Stan just happened to be the pro at the course. We were on the green, don't remember what hole it was, when the group behind us hit a ball that rolled onto the green we were on. Just so happend to be Stan's son that hit the shot. After the round we were in the club house, when to our surprise Stan came up to us and apologized for his son hitting into us on the green! What a guy he was. Pure class all the way!
Stan was the best stickhandler in Blackhawk's history and that includes Patrick Kane. An absolute wizard with the puck Thanks for the Memories Stan rest in peace
another star gone to the sky great player, rest in peace stan mikyta
Great video
So sad a lengend gone😰😰
R.I.P. Stan Mikita 1940 - 2018
😭 Thank You, Stan 1940 - 2018
True legend of the chicago Blackhawks
from a rangers fan rip mr mikita. you will be missed
RIP to the face of the Blackhawks #21 Stan Mikita
That's an amazing story about his transformation at his daughter's words. I don't think it'll ever happen again that a player will lead the league in penalty minutes one season and win a Lady Byng the next.
A hockey great Godspeed my friend RIP
I got to see him play RIP Stan
R.I.P. NHL legend we will remember he forever ;(
Mikita and Hull; two of the greatest Hawks of all time. SRO at the old Chicago Stadium.
RIP. Legendary shot
04:15 The curve on that stick lol but who cares he invented the most useful thing in the league besides a helmet. RIP itll be weird not seeing him around during Hawk games
I wonder what the sport would be like today without bent blades.
Though Stan was far away from the land of his birth and early years, he became a huge hero there..... and was feted and adulated in Prague when he visited after his career..... even finally meeting his real birth mother!
There are basketball players who are thugs and then there are hockey players, who are all class.
May he Rest in Peace.
Stan Mikita Ďakujeme
Now Gordie got some company tonight 😥
Antonio Lord I Was thinking,That when I commented. I Met Mr Hockey,Was One of Best days of my Life. Would of Loved to,Of Met Stan And Few others Gone now too. 😊
Sadly we're losing players from that era. Johnny Bower is another one who passed away not too long ago.
We have lost Many others, Rip, Mikita, Bower, Vezina.
SuperStrik9 Another Saskatchewan Guy,Like Gordie and Myself. Gone To Soon,Left us With all good Memories. Great Reply. Take care.
Aw.......👍
RIP
Not gonna lie, I had no idea Glenn Hall was still alive lol
R.I.P. STAN.I WAS GREAT HOCKEY LEGEND!!! VILI-SABRES FAN.GOODBYE!!! STAN.
Rest in peace Stan
Вечная тебе память!
Rip
Til Valhalla, Stosh. #OneGoal #RIP
My family RIP
RIP Stan Mikita
Rip Stan Mikita Slovák legend
RIP Stan. :( :( :(
You will be mist Stan you will always be remembered
RIP Stan!
Rip stan
"Uhh ohh...you again!" - Johnny Bower
RIP Stosh
R.I.P. Stan Mikita
So sad
Rest In Peace 😭😭😭😭😭😭
Coach Billy Reay once told him that it takes a very long hockey stick to score from the penalty box.
When Dave Keon has something to say about a hockey player of high-caliber I'm going to listen
rest in peace Stanislav Mikita!!!! always remember you for curving the stick.
From a dyed-in-the-wool Habs fan, RIP, Stan..heaven's all-star team just added a legend...
He and Bobby Hull were like the Ruth and Gehrig of the Blackhawks, even though they played on different lines.
RIP Stan.
The Reformation of Stan mikita
Rip Stan
Rest in Peace.
Wow
Judging by the only two pieces of actual video Stan acting a bit aggressive, seems like someone's trying to create something that isn't true. Stan was a freak of nature who could do what he pleased.
RIP... I'm all choked up. LOL, Makita's gonna run up the score in the games at the Pearly Gates Arena now.
GO HAWKS
Najlepší Slovák v NHL.
legend
I'm so sad rn
R.I.P Slovak hawk
R.I.P
It super sucks he had to go to die my dad relay loved him